2016 OFFICIAL DAKAR f5irehose - THANK YOU ALL F5 posters and lurkers!

Well seems apparent BB plans on winning every stage and in turn the rally. Can he keep it together for another 10 stages? Time will tell. I am surprised, I thought he would have learned something by now....

Peterhansel putting a clinic today, Loeb still out front leading the pack (physically).

So I can even "jump" from Malle Moto to Super Production ? Let´s say by buying a spare engine from another SP driver after stage 3...
And from the engine change on I can become friends with an "unknown support team" and they can do the work for the rest of the rally ?

Yes, you can drop out of Malle Moto if you decide you need the help of a more experienced team or mechanic. I do not believe there is a penalty applied - although there was an instance the first year that Robert Van Pelt competed, where he entered Malle Moto but was visiting his father's Truck team each night and doing work/getting help there. The Orga decided this was beyond the rules as he had additional access to parts and potentially assistance, and insisted he move out of the Malle Moto class.

He went back the following year and won the Malle Moto class, just to prove he could ;o)


With regard to spectators helping - get pulled out of a river and helping to dry out the bike (during the stage) is not really considered outside help...

If you stopped off at a garage on liaison and had some welding done, it might be questionable, but unless you're contesting at the sharp end, the Orga tend to turn a blind eye, particularly as the event progresses.

However, if you prearranged someone to drop a fresh tyre and wheel behind an outhouse half way through the neutralised section of the stage, well, you'd really need to be an ASO favourite not to get kicked out of the rally... ahem.

Jx

HRC 123 again today. Certainly they lead the way in an unconventional approach to Dakar. Balls out right from the start...take no prisoners...hope to gain enough time in the first week then hold onto it for the second week.

I wonder how well JBB's bike is doing after being flogged that hard. Can he give it all the service it needs without losing too much time?

The rules have changed since effectively Dakar moved to South America.

The Orga now only carry trunks (Pierre Henry boxes) for the Malle Moto competitors.

If you're with your own assistance team, you can pack as many trunks as they are prepared to carry for you in their own support vehicle/s.

Jx

Maybe HRC 1,2 Husqvarna 3.....

nope

It's like HRC is trying to do to the Dakar what Audi did to the 24 hours of Le Mans . Turn an endurance event into a sprint event

Mechanics are busy as heck, I doubt very much one would "adopt" you. Also...buying an engine...this is the reason a lot of folks buy a ktm rr as there is a ktm parts truck with every part needed on it. Parts are not cheap and you have to pay a 1000 Euro (if memory serves) before the race to have the privilege of buying parts if you need to.

People enter MM to challenge themselves. Getting help from other mechanics sort of defeats the purity of it....

Not yet. You still have to wait for the results of Ruben Faria

Dakar.com

10:35 Motorcycles: the trio from hell still in charge
The trio of riders who have dominated the special from the start remain in control at CP3. The Honda trident of Joan Barreda, Paulo Gonçalves and Kevin Benavides have posted the three fastest times so far. The leaders have less than 100 km to go.

Loeb has awesome skills, we all know that.

Has he ever competed when longevity and preservation of equipment is a big factor?

Can he just move his number plate onto a well preserved water carriers bike?

It's a different way of doing it, no doubt.
When you're used to seeing the aliens run consistently at the pointy end but not really chase stage wins it's a bit disconcerting to watch someone treat the stage as an enduro lap with seemingly little concern for conserving the bike.

Sorry for my bad Spanish French German Portugees Swedish and ooh ...........English.

Yep, what the entire world is waiting to see. Somehow, I think he is a such a smart and professional person that he wont let emotion be a factor. Can the pug hold out? Can he go without major nav errors? How does his co driver deal with being stuck in the sand? How crafty of a mechanic is his co driver? I think these are the important questions...His driving leaves little debate...but can he, his car and his co driver form something magic? Time will tell

in WTCC he would need to know how to preserve his car (though that is tarmac) and he did have a single Rally Raid a couple months back...but outside of that, if you don't consider his WRC experience as having to know how to preserve his equipment, then no.

Looks like Gordon is stuck behind a Mini.
Malysz 11:28:30
Gordon 11:28:49

Have to see if he can get clear by the next waypoint